Moccasin



(No Model.)

J L. OOOMBS.

MOGGASIN.

No. 391,025. Patented Oct. 16, 1888.

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Fig. 3

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Nrrao PATENT @FFICE.

JAMES L. COOMBS, OF BANGOR, MAINE.

MOCCASIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,025, dated October 16, 1888.

Serial No. 266,807. (No model.)

To all whom it may conccfn:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. COOMBS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bangor, in the county of Penobscot and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Moccasin Seam Protector; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improved flexible seam-protector applicable to all styles and classes of moccasin foot-wear.

In the class of foot-covering called the moccasin the bottom of the shoe is cut in one piece of material, somewhat larger than the sole, and turns up around the sides of the foot, meeting the upper with a butt-joint, to which it is attached or united by means of a peculiar stitch universally used. This seam is obliged to be sewed by hand, owing to the peculiar construction of the stitches, and on account of its necessary stiffness it very soon breaks and begins to rip at the points where the shoe wrinkles by the action or bendingof the toes in walking. The continuous bending of the leather at the wrinkles, together with the extra strain on the parts caused by such continuous acti'on,acting, as it does,in opposite directions, tends to weaken the stitches at these places, which very soon give way under the perpetual strain long before the rest of the shoe has begun to show appreciable sign of wear. To reduce the strain at the weak places, 0vercome the wear, and strengthen and add to the life of all classes of moccasins is the object of my invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of an upper, showing my improved seamprotector attached before lasting. Fig. 2 represents the plan of an ordinary moccasin-bottom, showing the manner of attaching my invention at the heel. Fig. 3 is a perspective View ofa complete shoe-moccasin, showing its appearance with my invention attached.

Similar letters of reference refer to correspondingly like parts throughout the different figures.

Heretofore in manufacturing moccasins it has been considered impossible to strengthen the seams uniting the bottom with the upper at the places where the wrinkling occurs by the action of the toes in any other way than by stays or metallic fastenings applied over the seam at the outside of the shoe, and,owing to the ungainly appearance of a seam covered with a net-work of metallic stays or other outside seam-protectors, they have never been universally used at these places.

The weakest place, (shown by the dotted line marked X in the drawings) coming, as it does, far down upon the toes, makes it difficult, if not impossible, to attach a stay upon theinside of a moccasin after the same has been completed.

It is to overcome the previous difiiculties and to attach a flexible seam-protector upon the inside of a moccasin, that will greatly strengthen and add to the life of the same without marring the good looks or outward appearance of a well-constructed shoe, that I have invented my device, which consists of a rectangular strip of leather or other flexible material (marked A in the drawings) ofsufficient width to allow of its being firmly secured each side of a scam. These strips A, I stitch to the inside of an upper near each edge across the wrinklingpoints X in such manner that one-half of the width of the seam-protector projects beyond the edge of the vamp B, as shown in Fig. 1. It is also advisable in the style of upper shown in the drawings to have the seam-protector A extend onto the quarters G O by the seam connecting the vamp and quarters in order to strengthen the ends of this scam. The upper is now ready to be placed upon a last and sewed to the bottom D by the usual method, the seam-protector A projecting inside of the bottom, which is sewed to the vamp B and quarters O C. After closing the upper and bottom of the moccasin,the unconfined portion of the seam-protector, eX- tending by the scam, inside of the bottom, is firmly secured to the latter byrivets t',passing through both bottom and protector. The seamprotector A is thus securely fastened each side of the seam, and when any strain occurs upon the latter it is immediately taken up by the seau1- rotec-tor which gradually reduces the said strain to a minimum by transmitting it along its entire length. The seams e and rivets z are all that are visible upon the outside the projection f.

of a moccasin constructed with my invention, and they do not in the least mar the beauty of a well-made shoe.

My invention is also adaptable to the back seams of a moccasin, as will now be described. A narrow strip of leather, A, is stitched to the heel projectionf of the bottom D near its inner edge and projects a short distance beyond the end. A similar strip, A, is stitched to the inner edge of the opposite heel projection, f, in precisely the same manner, with the exception of not extending beyond the end of The closing edges of the heel are now sewed together, as shown in Fig. 3, with the same moccasin-stitch used in uniting the upper and bottom parts, before described.

The unconfined portion of the seam-protectors A and A, extending across the seam, are fastened to the opposite sides of the latter by rivets t passing therethrough. The projecting end of the protector A, lapping by the vertical back seam, h, is also secured by rivets on the opposite side of this seam, and thus answers a double purpose.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

A moccasin provided with the inside scamprotector, uniting the vamp, quarters, and bot- 30 tom, and consisting. of a strip of flexible material secured to the inside of the upper, bridging its seam with the bottom,and united to the latter by rivets or other suitable means, substantially as shown, and for the purpose de- 5 scribed.

J AMES L. GOOMBS. Witnesses:

M. H. WARDWELL,

MINNIE E. BAKER. 

